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} Underwater Drones
HIGH
visibility
The best underwater drones
for exploring the depths
By Sam Fortescue
We’re used to seeing drones flying high, but they can dive
deep too. Sam Fortescue recommends the best underwater
drones for capturing marine life in high quality.
POWERRAY WIZARD
This ray-shaped box of tricks is capable of
descending to 30m on a 70m cord. The
PowerRay can stream HD video to your smart
device and shoot 4K video at 30fps as well as
hi-res stills – all lit with its built- in LED spots.
The Wizard package comes with sonar fishfinder,
bait delivery unit and VR headset.
£2,099
powervision.me
GLADIUS MINI
This second-generation drone has five drives
for more manoeuvrability and a battery life of
up to two hours. It’s controlled wirelessly from
up to 100m via a buoy tethered by a cord. Set
a tilt lock for stunning 4K camera and 12mp
images at depths of up to 100m, using builtin
lights and optional colour correction filters.
£1,299
chasing-innovation.com
ROBOSEA BIKI
Chinese outfit RoboSea has made a “cute”
drone in the shape of a bionic fish that uses its
tail for propulsion. Wireless control is achieved
from your phone via a sonar unit. BIKI has
infrared obstacle avoidance, shoots 4K video
and 16mp stills with image stabilisation, and
there’s a return-to-base button.
£799
robosea.org
DTG2 DEEP TREKKER ROV
Decidedly more Jacques Cousteau than the others here, the Deep Trekker
can descend to 150m and work for up to eight hours on a 90-minute
charge. Upgrade to a 4K camera for HD video and 18mp stills. Rugged
and with built-in lighting, it comes with a remote.
£15,000
deeptrekker.com
IBUBBLE DIVE CAMERA
Designed to film you during dives, iBubble is autonomous for up to
an hour in the water. It operates silently, using sonar to avoid reefs or
coral, with emission levels that don’t impact marine mammals. Twin
1,000-lumen lights adjust to diminishing light automatically.
£4,499
ibubble.camera
Credit: Boats International
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